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The soldiers were soon huddled together 
under the window {Page 15) 


Captain Billie 

Leads the Way to 

The Land of Don't Want To' 

^ By 

Josephine Scribner Gates 

Author of “The Story of Live Dolls,” 

“Little Girl Blue,” “Sunshine Annie” 

Illustrated / 


New York 

Dodd, Mead and Company 
1914 


Copyright, 1914 

By DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY 



NOV II 1914 

©CI.A388349 V, 


To 

Every little Jill and Jack who will 
come back and live in 
‘Want to’ Land” 







f 



ILLUSTRATIONS 


The soldiers were soon huddled 
together under the window 
{Page 15) . • . . . . Frontispiece \y 

FACING PAGE 

“Here we will leave you ; stay as long 
as you wish” 3^ 

The baker didn’t want to bake . . . 50 

Captain Billie 86 



*1 



/^NCE upon a time in a deep 
dark wood, beside a silvery 
stream, there lived a queer little 
man. A very soldierly little fellow 
he was, and one morning he sat on 
a log, thinking deeply. 

For some days he had been 
watching the sun, which, he felt, 
was behaving very strangely. 

It didn’t shine clear and bright 
as usual, and it seemed as though 
some little sprites might be hold- 
ing blue-glass umbrellas before it 
7 


so that it cast cold blue rays instead 
of strong warm yellow ones. 

The little fellow seemed to under- 
stand and, sighing deeply, arose, 
and at once a shrill whistle echoed 
and re-echoed through the forest. 

Almost instantly there appeared 
many soldierly little fellows, who 
seemed almost to spring from the 
ground. 

They gathered about their leader, 
gazing up at him in wonder. 

“I have summoned you to say 
the time has come. You must be 
off. Are you willing and ready?” 

8 


“Indeed we are,” was the reply. 
“Then to work!” cried the leader. 



In his hand gleamed a silver key, 
which he placed in a lock in the 
side of a large rock, 

9 


A door swung open, and therein 
was to be seen a shining mass, 
pure white and glistening like frost 
in the sunlight. 

“Fall to!” ordered the leader, 
and the little fellows labored with 
silver picks till each had broken off 
his portion. 

The door closed and they all 
worked briskly. The birds in the 
trees watched closely to see pres- 
ently that each little fellow was 
making a boat, a beautiful shining 
boat with masts and sails. 

Then they saw that as soon as 


10 


one boat was finished, another was 
made, and the two were tied to- 
gether and dragged to the stream. 
Then the little fellows returned for 
further orders. 

“Don your suits of armor,” cried 
the leader, “fill your knapsacks, 
stock the hold of the boats with 
food and be off!” 

The little men vanished, but 
shortly came back, robed in suits 
as pure and dazzlingly white as 
were the boats. 

The Captain stepped forward, 
saluted, and asked: 


“Your Majesty, is the enemy 
abroad ?” 

“The sun says so. Look for 
yourself.” 

The Captain scanned the sky, 
then asked: 

“What is it this time?” 

“It seems to be the cry of T 
don’t want to,’ and it must be ban- 
ished. Go and do your best. Suc- 
cess to you !” 

With another salute, the boats 
were quickly launched, and, with 
a shout, the soldiers sailed away. 

The leader watched them out of 


12 


sight, and a pretty picture it was to 
see: the silvery stream, the over- 



hanging trees, and the graceful 
little boats which, with sails spread, 
looked like great white sea gulls 
13 


skimming along, while the birds 
filled the air with joyous song. 

Presently the stream widened, 
and on either shore were to be seen 
scattered cottages. 

By this time the sun was low in 
the heavens, the birds had hushed 
their notes, darkness crept over the 
scene, and the sky was thickly dotted 
with stars. 

The lights in the various homes 
shone bravely forth, and suddenly 
the shrill wail of a child rang out. 

“Hark!” cried the Captain. All 
listened intently, and what do you 
14 


suppose they heard that child say? 
Just this — “I don’t want to go to 
bed!” 

It floated out the open window, 
across to the ears of these boatmen, 
and the Captain cried: 

“Steer for the shore!” 

The course of the boats was 
changed, and as they touched the 
land the soldiers leaped forth, and 
were soon huddled together under 
the window of this small boy’s 
home. 

He was still saying that he didn’t 
want to go to bed, while his mother 
15 


was patiently trying to change his 
mind. 

“Come,” whispered the Captain, 
and in a moment mother and Bob- 
bie were surprised to see the room 
filled with tiny soldiers. So beauti- 
ful and bright were they, Bobbie 
stopped right in the middle of 
the oft-repeated wail — “I don’t 
want — ” 

“Come,” cried the Captain, “you 
must join the regiment.” 

Bobbie blinked his eyes. He 
dearly loved to play soldier. Many 
times had he marched with the 

i6 


boys, wearing a paper cap and 
shouldering a stick for a gun. 

“Is it a real regiment?” he 
asked. 

“A real regiment made up of all 
children who don’t want to do 
various things. You don’t want 
to go to bed, you say. Is that so ? ” 

“Oh, yes,” cried Bobbie, “I 
never do want to go to bed.” 

“ Then if you join this regiment 
you will never need to go to bed 
nor do anything unless you want 
to.” 

“ How lovely I ” Bobbie cried, 
17 


capering about. “ May I go, 
Mother?” 

Mother hardly knew what to say, 
but at a nod from the Captain, she 
gave her permission, and while 
Bobbie was getting ready she held 
a hasty confab with the odd little 
man, and was then perfectly satis- 
fied with this strange performance. 
Bobbie wondered at the roguish 
twinkle in Mother’s eyes as she bade 
him good-by, but he was so excited 
over it all he danced out of the 
house at the Captain’s heels with- 
out a word. 

i8 


“ Do you know any more little 
boys who don’t want to go to 
bed?” the Captain asked. 

“Stacks! In that house across 
the street lives Billie. He don’t 
want to do anything. Let’s get 
him and make him Captain.” 

Billie was his bosom friend, and 
of course if there was to be such 
fun ahead as this soldier man said, 
Billie must come too, and since he 
was always the ringleader in every- 
thing, of course he must be Captain 
of this odd regiment, and Bobbie 
very eagerly led the way to Billie’s 
house. 


19 


“ Hear him now? ” 

They all listened, and dear ! dear ! 
It was all true. Billie also was de- 
claring just what Bobbie had : that 
he didn’t want to go to bed. 

The Captain disappeared, and 
soon returned with Captain Billie, 
who for a wonder did want to do 
something at last, and was wild over 
the thought of being able to order 
everybody about. 

“ Hullo ! ” cried Bobbie. “ Isn’t 
this great? We’re going to be real 
soldiers and we’re going where I be- 
lieve we can do pretty much as we 
please.” 


20 


Captain Billie’s big eyes stared 
at Bobbie and the shining soldiers 
awaiting him, but there was no time 
to talk it over, for the order— “Ready! 
Mark time 1 March !” now sounded 
in their ears. 

As they tramped along, over and 
over came to their ears the same “ I 
don’t want to ’’ cry, and each time 
the Captain brought forth a new 
recruit. 

Not always were they boys, how- 
ever, for there seemed to be many 
little girls, glad and eager to join 
this army, and presently a goodly 


21 


number marched along in the moon- 
light. 

The Captain led them to a meadow 
just at the edge of town. Here he 
drilled them for awhile. Then they 



22 


sat around under the trees drowsily 
talking, till before they knew it 
they were all curled up in a heap 
fast asleep. 

They were awakened by a bugle 
call, and they lay and listened to 
its echo. 

Captain Billie, without opening 
his eyes, cried, “I don’t want to 
get up.” 

The Captain laughed heartily as 
he said : 

“Nobody asked you to. Lie 
there as long as you choose. I’m 
going back to the village and see 
23 


if there are any more who want to 
go with us,” and with a wave of 
his hand he tramped away in the 
cool sweetness of the early morning. 

He had hardly entered the village 
before he heard from various houses 
mothers calling, “Jack, Jill, Jimmie, 
Mamie, etc. It’s time to get up.” 
Then the drowsy reply, “I don’t 
want to get up ye — et.” 

And so shortly Jimmie and 
Mamie, Jack and Jill were keeping 
step with the Captain. Not only 
these children, but Annie, Susie, 
Willie, Georgie — and dear me, there 
24 


seemed to be no end to the number 
who wanted to join the ranks. 



The Captain led them to the 
meadow, drilled them with the 
others, and then they had a picnic 
dinner. 


25 


“ Isn’t it fine ! ” cried one and 
another. “ Seems as if we’re going 
to have a picnic all the time,” said 
Captain Billie, 

“Won’t you tell us where we’re 
going? ” 

“ Certainly,” replied the Captain, 
“ we are going to the beautiful vil- 
age of ‘ I don’t want to ! ’ It is a 
great place for you, because there 
the people never do anything they 
don’t want to. It’s a kind of ‘do 
as you please’ place, and I believe it 
is just what you want now. 

“Presently I’m going back forone 

26 


more lot. At suppertime I expect 
there will be a few who would 
rather come with me than stay and 
be dressed for that occasion.” 

And sure enough, the first thing 
he heard on arriving in the village 
was : “ Johnny, come,” and the far- 
away reply, “ I don’t want to be 
dressed yet.” 

And so it happened that he 
brought back quite a few more 
romping children, who were wel- 
comed with shouts and cheers. 

The Captain’s eyes twinkled, but 
his face was very grave as he mar- 

27 


shalled his forces to the water’s edge, 
where they found the boats lazily 
rocking while waiting for the little 
passengers. 

“ Just one moment before we go,” 
said the Captain. “ I have some- 
thing to say to you. 

” You know there are soldiers of 
one sort or another all over the 
world. They all have some special 
reason for being, and often they 
carry banners which show what 
their reasons are. 

“ My soldiers will now show you 
their banners,” and at a signal, the 

28 


little men held on high banners of 
pure white with these words in let- 
ters as blue as the sky — 

“ I want to.” 

The children gazed at the magic 
words as the Captain continued: 

“ Now you also have a reason for 
being and must carry banners. Here 
they are. Take your choice.” 

The children were wildly excited 
over this, and each sprang for a 
banner, but as they opened and 
read them, their cheeks grew very 
rosy. For a moment there was 
silence, then Bobbie seized one on 

29 


which he read, “ I don’t want to go 
to bed.” 

He waved it in the air, crying: 
“ Hurrah ! Here’s the one for me. 
Come on, fellows, choose your 
colors. This is a great lark ! ” 

Encouraged by this daring speech 
the children each sought a banner, 
and soon were marching about in 
the greatest glee, waving on high 
banners with various mottoes, such 
as : “I don’t want to have my hair 
brushed.” ” I don’t want to brush 
my teeth.” “ I don’t want my nails 
cleaned.” ” I don’t want to be 


30 


cleaned up.” While Captain Billie 
triumphed over all with the only 



31 


banner of its kind — “ I don’t want 
to do anything.” 

“ Attention ! Ready ! Go !” or- 
dered the Captain. 

At this command they joyfully 
hopped into the little boats and 
were soon floating along on the 
rippling water. 

Bobbie was much excited as he 
found himself in the Captain’s boat, 
which headed the procession. It 
seemed almost too good to be true 
that so many children were on their 
way to the blissful land of “ I don’t 
want to,” where they could do as 
they pleased. 32 


“ See the pond lillies !” he cried 
suddenly, and leaned far out to 
pluck one. 

“ Sit still ! ” cried the Captain. 



“ I don’t want to,” said Bobbie, 
and at that over he went. The water 
wasn’t very deep, but he was quite 
wet when he climbed aboard, and 


33 


wished he had wanted to obey. He 
looked back and chuckled to him- 
self as he saw here and there other 
children falling overboard and 
struggling to get back in the 
boats. 

If the sprites had more often low- 
ered their blue-glass umbrellas 
from the sun’s face the children 
would soon have been warm and 
dry, but these same little sprites 
seemed also to belong to this regi- 
ment, for the sun continued to 
shine blue and cold, and it was 
some time before the children could 


34 


watch in comfort for the promised 
land. 

At eventide they landed. The 
Captain led them all to a fort. 
Here were snug little tents, where 
they found pillows and rugs, also 
cupboards well filled. 

After supper the Captain said : 
“ I and my men are going to bed. 
Good-night,” and they disappeared. 

The children stared at the flap- 
ping curtains, and presently by the 
heavy breathing they knew the little 
men were fast asleep. 

“How grand! ’’whispered Bobbie, 
35 


“ that we don’t have to go to bed ! ” 
“ Of course we don’t have to, 
but I’m going, for I’m sleepy,” said 
Elsie, as she crept into her little 
tent after sticking her little banner 
up in front, where it fluttered in the 
moonlight all night long. 

One by one the others followed 
suit, and Bobbie couldn’t resist the 
temptation, for he was very sleepy. 

They were awake at dawn, and 
eager to be off, and after a hearty 
breakfast were again on the way. 

” Soon you’ll see the country you 
long for,” said the Captain, and 
36 



“Here we will leave you ; stay as long as you 

wish” 





, « 

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I- 


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after some hours sailing the boats 
again touched land, and the chil- 
dren fairly tumbled over one an- 
other as they leaped from the boats 
and were led by the Captain to a 
great arch over which was written — 

“Welcome to ‘I Don’t Want To 
Land.”’ 

“ This is the entrance to the vil- 
lage,’’ said the Captain. “ Here we 
will leave you; stay as long as you 
choose, but listen well to what I 
am about to say. If the time ever 
comes when you want to go back 
37 


we will come and take you. No 
one else has power to take you away 
from here, but you must stay just 
as long as you want to carry those 
banners.” 

“ That will be forever ! ” cried 
Captain Billie, wildly hopping 
about, ” so don’t bother about us.” 

“ How can we let you know if 
we should want to go ?” asked one 
little maid a bit wistfully. 

” Oh,” replied the Captain, “you 
won’t have to let me know. I have 
a messenger who never fails me. 
The moment you want me. I’ll be 
on the spot. Now good-by.” 

38 


Then to his soldiers he shouted : 
“ About face ! Ready ! March ! ” 
The children watched till they 
could no longer see the little white 
messengers fluttering in the air like 
flying birds hovering over the line 
of dazzling whitedots. Thencurious 
to see what was now in store for 
them, they went through the en- 
trance and up the street. 

It seemed a village very like their 
own home place. The houses even 
seemed the same, and suddenly, to 
Bobbie’s delight, he saw at the door 
of one his own dear mother. 


39 


“ Looks just like our house, and 
there’s my mother !” he cried, as 
he fairly flew along to greet her 
with outstretched arms. He put 
up his lips to kiss her, but to his 
surprise she seemed not especially 
overjoyed to see him. 

He went into the house and 
looked around. It was like his 
home, only there seemed to be 
something wrong. He couldn’t just 
tell what, but it was different. 
Not warm and cozy, but dark and 
cold and uncomfortable. 

He went out and sat down on the 


40 


steps to think it over, and noticed 
across the street Captain Billie on 
his steps, thinking busily. 



41 


“ I don’t want to,” said Captain 
Billie, “you come over here.” 

“I don’t want to,” echoed 
Bobbie, and they both shouted with 
laughter. 

Bobbie presently walked slowly 
across and seated himself beside 
Captain Billie. 

“ Great place, isn’t it? That’s just 
like our house at home, and it’s my 
mother all right, but she didn’t seem 
very glad to see me.” 

“ Mine either,” replied Captain 
Billie. “ There’s something in the 
air here. I don’t know if I like it, 
but I can’t explain what it is.” 

42 


“ I thought so too, but never 
mind, it’s going to be great. Why, 
Captain Billie, we don’t have to do 
(?«_ything. We can throw our coats 
and caps any old place ; we needn’t 
clean the mud off our shoes ; we’ll 
never have to be careful of the 
tablecloth, so we can eat our meals 
in peace ; and best of all we can 
eat between meals every minute.” 

“Hurrah! Welcome to the new 
land ! ” and with a vigorous stroke 
on Bobbie’s shoulder, Captain Billie 
cried : “ Come on, let’s begin the 
fun. Forward, march to the cookie 
crock ! ” 


43 


The cookie crock, usually filled 
and running over, they found as 
empty as Old Mother Hubbard’s 
cupboard. 



44 


“ Pr’haps Mother don’t know it,” 
and he called up the stairway : 
“ Mother, did you know we were 
out of cookies ? ” 

“ Yes,” drawled Mother, in atone 
very unlike her usual brisk way of 
speaking. 

“Aren’t you going to make 
some?” 

“No, I don’t want to, ’’was the 
faraway reply. 

“ Bread and butter would do,” 
whispered Bobbie. “Spread it thick 
with brown sugar.” 

The boys again went to the pan- 

45 


try, but the breadbox too was 
empty. All they could find was 
a few cold scraps left from the day 
before. 

“ Come on over to our house,” 
said Bobbie ; ” our pantry’s always 
full of good things.” 

They shot across the street, into 
the house to that pantry, but found 
that also empty. 

Bobbie’s mother was upstairs 
reading, and after a few moments 
Bobbie ventured to mention that 
he was hungry. Mother smiled 
sweetly but continued her story. 

46 


“Won’t Father be coming soon?” 
he asked politely. 

“I suppose so, if he wants to.” 

“ Aren’t you going to get din- 
ner ? ” 



47 


“ oh, no, I don’t want to. There’s 
plenty of cold stuff. I guess you 
won’t starve.” 

The boys tiptoed out of the room, 
down the stairs, and Bobbie went to 
the mantel for his bank. 

“ You run get some pennies, too, 
and let’s go to the bake shop,” he 
said, and shortly they were racing 
down the street, the pennies rattling 
as they ran. 

“ There’s Jimmy and Johnny, 
and my goodness, look on the other 
side. There are all the children 
who came with us. 

48 


“ Hi, there, Jimmie, wait for us.” 

” I don’t want to,” cried Jimmie. 

The boys hurried to join their 
mates, and found them all on the way 
to the bake shop for food. But 
dear! dear! what do you s’pose? 
Not a bun, not a cake, not anything 
could they find. 

When they asked the clerks to 
sell them food, they merely smiled 
and said, ” We don’t want to, we 
haven’t any, anyhow. The baker 
didn’t want to bake.” 

They hastened to the grocer shop, 
and there found the place as empty 
as the cupboards. 

49 


“ Haven’t you anything to eat ?” 
they asked, 

“ Why no,” was the reply, “I 
don’t want to go to the country to 
get it, and the farmers don’t want 
to bring it in,” 

Much discouraged they sought 
a candy shop, where just to look at 
the well-filled shelves usually made 
their mouths water, but here also 
they found no one. No candy, and 
not even a clerk to tell them he 
didn’t want to sell it, 

“ Dear ! dear ! ” cried Bobbie, “I 
s’pose no one wants to make it, 
50 













: ) 












%)w 


The baker didn’t want to bake 




This is a queer sort of place. I 
can’t see why any one wants to live 
here. Now look in that post office. 
The men are just sitting around 
half asleep.” 

“ Let’s go in and see if we have 
any letters.” 

They crowded in, to find a dread- 
ful state of affairs back of the tiny 
windows. The floor was covered 
with mail sacks, and packages were 
strewn about in the greatest dis- 
order. 

Bobbie ventured to ask if they 
weren’t going to deliver the mail, 
51 


to which question the clerk replied : 
“Oh, no. We don’t want to.’’ 

“Well,” cried Captain Billie, 
“ there’s a letter in our box, won’t 
you give it to me ? ” 

“ Oh, no. I don’t even want to 
open that sack and look over that 
mail. This place is perfectly great!” 
he cried, as he threw himself on 
the floor, and with his head on the 
mail bag was soon fast asleep. 

“ Oh ! ” cried Betty. “How 
dreadful ! We can’t even have our 
valentines on Valentine’s Day. I 
always get bushels of them.” 

52 


This was a sad state of affairs 
indeed, they all decided as they 
walked on. 



“See, Betty, in the toy store. 
See that new kind of doll. Isn’t 
she dear? Let’s go and look at 
53 


her.” The girls followed Elsie 
in, to stand On tiptoe before the 
counter, while they asked to see 
the new dolls. 

The clerk turned his head in 
surprise, and replied : 

“ Oh my ! I don’t want to show 
dolls to-day.” 

The girls walked out with blaz- 
ing cheeks and eyes flashing fire. 
Never were they so mistreated. 
They found the children shouting 
and dancing before some bill- 
boards. 

“ Hi there ! a circus ! Look at 


54 


the animals in the cages ! Can’t 
you almost hear them roar? And 
see the trick ponies, aren’t they 
great ? And the splendid steam 
piano, and oh ! see that bareback 
rider ! She’s a stunner, I can tell 
by the way she stands on her toes. 
“ We’ll go, and we can have a 
balloon ; they are great fun.” 

“Hark! Hear the music,” 
chorused the crowd. “ It’s the 
circus parade. Look, it’s just be- 
yond the entrance ! ” 

With one accord they started for 
the scene of action, but in a moment 
55 


they found the procession had 
changed its mind and was going 
the other way. 

“ They’ve turned around ! They 
don’t want to parade,” declared 
Bobbie, much dismayed. 

‘‘Come on. I’m going back 
home.” 

They walked silently along till 
suddenly they heard horses clattering 
lickity-cut down the street. A horn 
blew a terrific blast and a splendid 
tallyho drew up and stopped be- 
side the curb. 

‘‘Look at the horses, eight of 

56 


’em and see the plumes nodding 
on their heads. “ Hear their chains 
clank. My ! I wonder what they 
are for ! ” said Captain Billie. 

“For you,’’ cried the driver. 
“ Take you right to the circus 
grounds for only a nickel. We can 
catch the parade if we hurry.” 

The children clambered in. Such 
a chance for a lovely ride they 
never had, and they were bubbling 
over with joy as the horses started 
and away they went, while the 
blast of the horn echoed and re- 
echoed far down the street. 


57 


All seemed well at last, but what 
do you s’pose? They had only 
gone a short distance when those 
eight splendid beautiful horses 
stopped their prancing and dancing 
and refused to budge an inch. 

The driver turned pale, and said 
sadly : 

“ No use. You may as well get 
down. They don’t want to go any 
farther.” 

As the children walked away 
Captain Billie cried : 

“ Come on over on the green and 
let’s talk this over. I think it’s 

58 


dreadful. We can’t stand this sort 
of thing much longer! ” 

Captain Billie was usually the boy 
of the town. Every one followed 
him about and was always ready to 
follow his lead. Now, to his sur- 
prise, he found himself sitting down 
under a tree alone. 

“ Oh, I forgot. They don’t want 
to, I suppose,” he said to himself. 

“ Well, I’m hungry. My garden 
ought to be started by this time. 
Maybe I can find something to eat 
there.” 

The garden was as bad as all the 

59 


other things. Nothing was growing 
but weeds, and the ground was hard 
and dry. 



“ I remember,” he sighed, ” I did- 
n’t want to weed nor water it. 

“ It don’t want to rain, and the sun 

6o 


just won’t shine as it ought to, so of 
course the things don’t want to 
grow.” 

He went into the house and found 
some cold scraps awaiting him on 
the table. As he ate he thought of 
the good dinner his mother usually 
cooked, and he sighed heavily. 

He glanced at his banner which 
he had stuck up on end in a corner, 
and the words staring at him sent 
him to a seat in the window. Here 
he sat and gazed unseeingly up the 
street. 

He was suddenly startled by a 

6i 


glad shout, and there was Bobbie 
dancing a hornpipe under his win- 
dow. 

“Come on,” he cried excitedly. 
“ Betty’s invited us all to a party. 
She couldn’t mail the invitations be- 
cause — you know why, so we’re 
helping her invite. At last we’re 
going to have some fun.” 

Captain Billie was so delighted 
he sprang out the window, and with 
a wild cry of joy he followed Bobbie 
to the village green, where they 
found the children assembled. 

Betty Black’s parties were always 

62 


a joy. Every child in the village 
might have a party, and they would 
have a glorious time at every one, but 
when Betty Black had one — well, 
it was just like a real show and a 
pretend one. No one ever could 
get up such refreshments as Betty’s 
mother did, and so no wonder the 
children stood on their heads and 
turned cart wheels and did all sorts 
of gymnastics on the way to Betty’s. 

Suddenly Elsie shouted, “ Who’s 
that cornin’ down the street? Looks 
like Betty.” 

“ ’Tis Betty,” declared Bobbie. 

63 


“ She’s coming to tell us about that 
lovely ice cream and chocolate 
cake.” 

And sure enough it was Betty — 
Betty with hair unbrushed, face 
unwashed, and soiled dress. 

“ Why, Betty ! ’’cried Janie, “ we’re 
all cornin’ to your party. Were you 
going some place and did you for- 
get you were going to have it?” 

“ Oh, no,” cheerily remarked 
Betty, “ I’m not going to have it.” 

“ I thought so,” whispered one 
and another. “Who ever had a 
party looking as she does ?” 

64 


“Oh, ’’laughed sharp-eared Betty, 
“ I guess no one ever did, and who 
ever went to a party looking as you 
do?’’ 

The children stopped and stared. 
Then one and another began to 
straighten out hair with fingers, and 
wipe faces with soiled handker- 
chiefs, and smooth down their 
dresses. 

One little girl found a large leaf 
and was trying to clean her shoes, 
when Betty laughed merrily and 
cried ; 

“Oh, don’t bother. We are 

65 


frights, every one of us, but that 
isn’t why I’m not to have the party. 
It’s the biggest joke you ever 
heard. Mother didn’t want to get 
ready for the party, but she loves 
it as much as we do, and she finally 
changed her mind and went to work. 
She started to make a cake and 
found no eggs, and what do you 
s’pose? It’s too funny ! there isn’t a 
hen in this town that will lay an 
egg* They don't want to, you see. 
Then she couldn’t make ice cream, 
because the cows also have joined 
the regiment. They don’t want to 
give milk. 66 


“ So how can I have a party? A 
party isn’t a party without ice cream 
and cake. 


“ I think we better make the hens 
and cows some banners. Wouldn’t 
they look funny marching through 
the streets I ” 



67 


The children shouted over this, 
all except Bobbie, who cried: 

“ This is a fine place to live in ! It 
isn’t funny a bit. Everything goes 
wrong and I don’t like it. 

“We couldn’t even go out and 
see the circus tents just because the 
horses didn’t want to go. Better 
let them join your animal army, too. 
Now we can’t have the party. Noth- 
ing is nice like it used to be. 

“ Let’s stand these banners in a 
row. We ought to be made to stand 
in front of them and stare at those 
words forever ! ’’ 


68 


As Bobbie spoke he stuck the 
banners in the ground, where they 
cheerfully waved, till Betty pulled 
them all down and threw them in 
a heap, then cried : 

“ Come on, let’s go to the circus 
and forget the party and every- 
thing.” 

“How can we? The horses won’t 
take us,” chorused the whole reg- 
iment. 

“ We can walk. Perhaps our 
mothers will go too.” 

They all vanished at this sugges- 
tion, and soon appeared with their 

69 


mothers, who for a wonder wanted 
to go. 

The circus grounds were not so 
very far away, and our little band 
trudged along, delighted that at last 
there was something they could do. 

As they neared the tent they found 



70 


it very exciting. Men were shout- 
ing all about the wonders of this 
unusual circus, and the children 
hurried in to see the animals. 

They found the creatures all 
curled up in balls, and the keepers 
poking them in vain. They just 
wouldn’t move, and he finally gave 
up in despair. 

“They don’t want to show off,” 
he announced. “I’m sorry, but I 
can’t help it,” then continued — 
“The performance is about to begin; 
get your seats.” 

This cry sent them all into the big 
71 


tent, and wildly excited they were 
as they found their seats near the 
opening into the dressing-room. 

“ Isn’t it grand ! ” said Captain 
Billie. “ We can see them before 
they even come out. They look 
so fine when they know they are 
going to burst upon us all in a 
moment.” 

For sometime they sat expectantly 
waiting. Suddenly the bandmaster 
held up his hand to wave the signal 
to begin. The men held their horns 
ready to blow, the drummer poised 
his sticks on high ready to pound 

72 


on the big drum, the violinists 
seemed about to draw their bows 
across the strings, when lo and be- 
hold ! all the children heard was a 
chorus of voices which sounded 
like a school, only instead of repeat- 
ing the multiplication table, these 
voices said very, very hard and loud 
“ I don’t want to play.” The 
bandmaster, much disturbed, tried 
his best to persuade them, but of 
no use. They just wouldn’t. 

“ Wind up the steam piano,” he 
cried. “The horses won’t come 
without music,” and so in a moment 
73 


the big pipe wagon was sending 
out its shrieking tones, and the 



horses with their spangled riders 
appeared trotting gracefully around 
the sawdust ring. Only once around, 
74 


however, for they suddenly veered 
as they neared the entrance, then 
vanished. 

Every one stared. Such a circus ! 
No music, and the grand entrance 
only once around instead of three 
times ! 

“Well, here comes the bareback 
rider, let’s see what she can do !’’ 
some one said. 

The bespangled glittering fairy- 
like creature appeared only to dis- 
appear, for after a breathless mo- 
ment of seeing her poised on one 
foot and seeming about to fly, she 
75 


turned her horse about, and waft- 
ing a kiss toward her audience, she 
was seen no more. 

Then came the clown. He was 
always the life of the circus. Now 
they could eat peanuts and popcorn 
while they listened to his funny 
jokes. 

They settled down as though 
their waiting was over, but dear me ! 
It had only just begun, for do you 
know what he did? He walked 
solemnly out, bowed profoundly, 
and with hand on high, as though 
waiting for rapt attention, he 
76 


whined : “ I don’t want to,” and he, 
too, disappeared. 

The children had hardly gotten 
over their disappointment, when 
the ponies, all wearing glittering 
coats of many colors, trotted play- 
fully in to trot playfully out. ” No 
tricks to-day,” they seemed to say. 
“ We don’t want to do them.” 

The manager then appeared and 
started to make a speech, but he also 
bowed to the ground and cried the 
same old story, and the audience 
rose and left the place. 

No one understood it except the 
77 


villagers we know who came from 
“ I don’t want to ” land. 

“You see,” cried Bobbie, as they 
passed out, “they couldn’t really 
help it. Their tent was pitched on 
the land that belongs to the village. 
If they had only known and placed 
it over the line it would have been 
all right. It’s a shame ! There was 
a perfectly good circus wasted !” 

They were soon at home crying 
for supper, but, dear ! dear ! the 
mothers still didn’t want to get it. 

Therefore Bobbie decided to get 
something to eat himself. The 
78 


first thing to do was to build the 
fire. Of course the woodbox was 
empty, because he had always de- 
clared he didn’t want to fill it when 
mother asked him to. So he had 
to go out to the shed for wood. He 
laid the fire and struck a match. 
It flared and went out. Another 
did the same, the third caught, but 
the wood didn’t want to burn. 

Bobbie was almost in despair 
when he came across a loaf of bread, 
some cookies, a pie and some cold 
meat. How it got there he didn’t 
know, but there was a feast indeed ; 

79 


and he hastened to set the table, 
and when he had the supper ready 



he rang the bell loud enough for 
the whole village to hear. 

“Well,” said Mother, as she and 
Father seated themselves, “ I’m glad 

8o 


somebody wanted to get supper. 
I just didn’t want to, but I am 
hungry as a bear.” 

Bobbie was too busy eating to 
reply, and soon after supper sought 
his little bed. 

He wasn’t the only child who got 
supper that night, nor the only one 
to go to bed without a word. 

Indeed the whole village retired 
quietly, and the next morning the 
children arose without being asked 
to, and bathed, dressed, brushed 
teeth and hair. Then came down 
to breakfast on time ; but only the 

8i 


children were there, and no break- 
fast in sight ! 

No one dared call the parents, 
for they had heard all they wanted 
to hear of that dreadful “ I don’t 
want to,” 

And so while they waited they be- 
came very busy. They filled wood- 
boxes and swept walks and porches. 
The little girls were as busy as the 
boys with their little brooms. 

Toys were put in place, doll 
houses were tidied up, bedrooms 
were made so very neat you would 
hardly have known them. 

82 


Coats and hats were hung away 
where they belonged, and finally 
when the mothers appeared, and 
the children were called to break- 



83 


fast, a glad army they were, indeed. 

When breakfast was over, after 
helping all they could, the various 
children gathered on the village 
green, so spick and span, and so 
happy were they, one would hardly 
have known them. 

“ There is just one ‘ I don’t want 
to,’ I want to say,” cried Bobbie. 
” I don’t want to stay in this land 
any longer. What can we do about 
it?” 

“We can’t stay when we don’t 
want to, but how can we let the 
Captain know we want him to take 
us away ? ” 84 


“ See, the sun is shining ! ” cried 
Elsie. “ He said there would be a 
way to know, and I believe that 
is it.” 

“ Oh, look ! there come the dear 
little soldiers now ! ” shouted Cap- 
tain Billie. 

The children began to hop, skip 
and jump towards their longed-for 
friends, and with outstretched arms 
the Captain greeted them. 

“ Good morning ! My faithful 
messenger brought me the good 
news that you wanted me ; therefore 
I am here.” 


85 


“Oh, was it the sun who told 
you ? ” asked Elsie earnestly. 

“ It was, my dear. You know 
the sun never shines in this village 
unless there are some ‘I wantto’s.’ 

“ It spoils it all for this place to 
have them about. You can see at 
once how it changes everything. 

“ If the sun shines, the flowers 
and vegetables want to grow, and 
the rain wants to fall. It’s funny 
how catching it is. The cows want 
to give their milk ; the hens want 
to lay. Every one begins to want 
to do this and that, and of course 
86 



Captain Billie 





then it isn’t an ‘ I don’t want to ’ land. 

“ So the very moment I saw the 
sun I summoned my men. Are 
you quite sure you want to go away 
from here ? ” he asked, with a keen 
glance at the faces upturned like 
so many blossoms. 

“ Oh, yes !” they chorused. “Do 
take us, please.’’ 

“ Then the banners may stay here 
and I will give you others. I think 
now you are ready to carry some 
like ours.’’ 

“ Indeed we are. Do you think 
we can be good enough ? ’’ they 
wistfully asked. 87 


“ of course you can, and here 
they are.” 



The children caught them up, 
and wildly waved them on high, 
cheering and shouting as they 
marched along. 


They found the little white boats 
awaiting them, and were soon float- 
ing along on the placid surface of 
the water toward their own dear 
homes. 

The air was filled with the per- 
fume of the water lilies, and by and 
by they heard the music of voices of 
rare sweetness that seemed to come 
from amid the branches of the over- 
hanging trees. 

The chorus swelled louder and 
louder, till presently the soldier 
children found themselves singing 
too. Although they had never heard 


the song, it seemed as though they 
had always known it. It sounded 
as glad as they felt, and if you will 
listen for a moment, you too will 
be singing it, while you wave on 
high your banner with the magic 
words. 

You will sing it on the sunshiny 
days and on the days when the sun 



90 


is so polite he hides away because 
the rain wants to fall and give the 
flowers a drink. You will sing it 
always and forever. 

Why ? Because you can’t help it ! 

You just want to! Learn it and 
see 1 


91 


‘a WANT T0»» 


BY MARY TURNER SALTER 



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